Conference addresses 'The State of American Jewish Belief Revisited'

On March 4, The Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Chicago, in cooperation with Spertus, a Center for Jewish Learning and Culture, held a one-day symposium entitled "The State of American Jewish Belief Revisited: On the Verge of a Crisis or the Threshhold of a New Beginning?" Over 250 people attended. Recent studies point to declining synagogue membership and denominational identification as signs of crisis in American Judaism. This symposium focused attention on theological dimensions of the perceived crisis. Six leading thinkers came together to share their unique vantage points on a series of questions: Is American Judaism theologically bankrupt or is it at the cusp of a radically new beginning? How should we diagnose this perceived crisis and what proposals might counter it? How can American Judaism build on traditional Jewish thought to addresstoday's challenges?